Manchester United vs Arsenal Predictions

• Arsenal went unbeaten in their last 14 Premier League games in 2024-25, drawing seven
• The Gunners have lost only two of their last seven visits to Old Trafford, drawing three
• Man Utd have failed to win four of their last five home Premier League matches, drawing two

New beginnings but same old story at Old Trafford?

Manchester United and Arsenal bid to put last season’s disappointment behind them in Sunday’s showcase clash on the opening weekend of the Premier League season. Ruben Amorim couldn’t arrest the slide that had set in under Erik ten Hag’s watch and United actually appeared to regress under his stewardship.

But with the Portuguese coach enjoying a full pre-season to work with the squad and several new faces brought in amid a major cull of underperforming stars, hope springs eternal at Old Trafford.

Arsenal have retooled in a bid to mount a stronger challenge than they managed last term when too many draws were not converted into wins. Viktor Gyokeres, Noni Madueke and Martin Zubimendi are the big-name arrivals, but some other signings could also make their presence felt in a gruelling campaign.

Gyokeres is a step ahead of Sesko

Gyokeres will be desperate to make an impact on his Premier League debut. The ex-Coventry hitman had to force his way out of Sporting, but has now had a few weeks to integrate with Mikel Arteta’s squad.

He scored in last Sunday’s 3-0 friendly win over Athletic Bilbao and could be in a better position to make an immediate impact than Benjamin Sesko. The Slovenian may have endeared himself to United fans by some of the actions that led to him arriving at Old Trafford, but the Gunners players will be out to show him what he’s missing.

Sesko is unlikely to last 90 minutes on his Red Devils debut after a fragmented pre-season, so United may turn to the still-Premier League unproven Chido Obi if they are chasing the game at the end.  The writing is on the wall for Rasmus Hojlund, who didn’t feature in the last warm-up match against Fiorentina.

Draw could be on the cards again

Despite all the positive PR from their pre-season tour to the United States and talk of a better dressing room atmosphere now, Amorim’s side still lacked tempo against La Viola and cannot be trusted to open the new campaign with a win.

Arsenal’s excellent away record last season, when they won seven and drew seven of their final 14 road fixtures in the league, is another reason to lean towards the visitors.

But United surely can’t be as bad as they were last season, when they were still able to dig out draws against three of the eventual top five. A stalemate looks like a strong possibility again in this clash, potentially leaving both sets of fans underwhelmed at the final whistle.